March Artist: Dry the River - No Rest

I thought I'd wrap up my Dry the River love fest with "No Rest" My fingers are crossed that they will find their way stateside this year so that I can catch them live (which by all accounts they put on one hell of a show what will all that punk roots energy flowing through them) I hope you've fallen as madly in love with them as I. And if you haven't well there's always April.

Back to the song at hand and its awesomeness... I'm not going to lie, the video gets a little weird at times. But hey, when that happens just do as I do and focus on the awesome beard bassist Scott Miller's rocking. What can I say I'm a sucker for them (see pics of the hubby).



"Did you see the light in my heart? Did you see the sweat on my brow?
Did you see the fear in my heart?"

March Artist: Dry the River - Bible Belt

"Bible Belt" just sets me adrift. Its a feeling that's always been hard to explain, its not an overly sad or happy feeling but magical and consuming. I never get the feeling that Liddle is trying to sound like Jeff Buckley as there is certainly a uniqueness there, instead I think its a matter of seeing the world... of being overcome with passion in a very similar way. Whatever it is, wherever it comes from, my heart is so happy to be able to feel it again. That familiar feeling I spoke of a few weeks ago is at its strongest for me during "Bible Belt". This song brings such a calm over me and I find myself listening over and over again; drifting along, my hands skimming the surface of a calm sea and my eyes drinking in the final flames of the sunset.

"If its dark outside you light the fire yourself"

March Artist: Dry the River - History Book

Dry the River are actually a relatively new band and are releasing their debut album, "Shallow Bed", this month. (Spectacular album by the way) Most of the guys come from punk backgrounds. And while there are certainly pastoral/gospelly energies that flow in their songs, none of the guys claim to be religious. I still think its hilarious that despite my unshakable agnostic beliefs I still find myself loving big hymnal energy. (See Tori Amos, PJ Harvey, Jeff Buckley, Florence and the Machine, ect)

Today's song, History Book, is the song that Becca w/ Girls Gone Child posted. When the chorus kicks in oh be still my heart.

"And maybe when the bitterness has gone, there'll be sweetness on our tongues once more"

35/35 March Update

Woah March crept up fast. Its time to check my 35/35 list and get a progress report. Life's been a little hectic lately but overall I've still navigated with my list in the back of mind and I'm finally able to mark something of my list WOO HOOO. I'm still so grateful to have the list and its really made such a positive difference in my life.

Things To Do
1. Read 12 books. -4 turned out to be a dud for me. (Radio Shangri-la) I keep going back and forth between reading a new book or embracing an old one, especially since I finally have our books out of storage (JOY!)
2. Send birthday cards to my nearest and dearest -I'm staying on track with this and love it still.
3. Fix my watch -to be done as soon as the budget allows
4. journal daily (even if its one sentence) -Unfortunately I haven't touched my journal these last few weeks. But I'm determined to get back on track this month.
5. Discover one new musical artist a month -January's artist was the Temper Trap, February was Gogol Bordello, and I'm madly in love with March's Artist - Dry The River.
6. Wear more jewelry-check

7. Wear more scarves-check, I actually bought a few more and have enjoyed them tremendously.

8. Complete at least one non-food Pinterest project per month-check and check, last month I made these incredibly cool owl valentines for Stella's class and these great t-shirt necklaces. Lots of project are on tap for March now that I have my sewing machine and all things crafty stuff back.

9. Blog at least once a week -February, started strong but ended a little weak, I totally blame Leap Year.

10. Make gifts for friends and family-to be done as soon as the budget allows

11. Create wardrobe I feel shows the "real" me.-made HUGE progress with this in February YAY!!

12. Finish one sewing project per month (once it arrives from storage)-I just got my sewing machine back (one month early) I plan to start racking up the miles as soon as I stop hugging it.

13. Learn to properly knit and crochet-coming soon!!

14. Learn how to play one good song on the piano-boo, I have yet to work on this but the year is still young.

15. Try one new recipe a week.-I've been averaging about about one or two a week, I really need to post more about them. I'm going to work harder on that this month-see blogging more.

16. Create Stella's reading nook-NOW UNDERWAY

17. Begin Stella's yearly art books a' la my Pin-spiration. -not yet

18. Learn how to braid Stella's hair.-working on it, I have been practicing though.

19. Research and (if possible) join the local arts council.-not yet

20. Complete my first children's book and submit it to a publisher-i have a solid draft, now i'm researching for it.

Adventure/Active

21. Plant and nurture no more than 3 plants for the entire year. -I've been planning, I can't wait until spring.

22. Walk 365 miles (not in one day mind you)-grrr no comment

23. Shoot a handgun (its that or break plates my friends)-to be done as soon as the budget allows

24. Give my hubby at least one long lingering kiss per day-check

25. Get a new tattoo-to be done as soon as the budget allows

26. Take at least one new photograph a week-Do photos for the shop count? I have taken more than usual but I haven't purposefully taken one to meet my one a week challenge.

Trips/Places To Go

27. See at least 2 shows at the Orange Peel-We will be seeing Trampled by Turtles in April

28. Take Stella to see a Play or Ballet Performance-to be done as soon as the budget allows

29. Visit Tryon, the birthplace of Nina Simone (sigh)-to be done as soon as the budget allows

30. Visit Black Mountain preferably overnight with my awesome hubby.-to be done as soon as the budget allows

31. Purchase year passes to Chimney Rock Park/Hickory Nut Falls and use hell out of them-to be done as soon as the budget allows-those bitches are expensive.

32. Go on at least one date a month with the hubby.-check

Healthy

33. Get the internal volume turned up on my hearing aids-DONE!! And its oh so awesome.

34. Complete a juice fast-to be done after my clean eating month.

35. Eat clean for one month-I'm thinking sometime in the summer.

March Artist: Dry the River

I've been a longtime follower of Girls Gone Child for awhile now. Becca has such a magical way with words and I adore her thoughts on parenting and nurturing imagination and self esteem in her children. I also love her taste in music. I've often posted about certain artist she turned me on to. But let me say this...if it wasn't a little creepy, and way too expensive to travel across the country, I would drive to California just to kiss her (most likely on the mouth) in gratitude of introducing me to Dry the River.

I've been a bit of a sucker for the earthy, hymnal kind of sound as of late. I know everyone and their hipster mother are singing the praises of Mumford & Sons and Fleet Foxes ect. But they just doesn't speak to me, although they should what with their poetry and beards. However I do think them solid bands and I'm glad that they are getting attention.

But I digress. Dry the River has oh so many ingredients that just rendered me all mushy inside. First and foremost frontman Peter Liddle and his voice; which awoke in me sensations and feelings I thought had died 15 years ago and oh my god was it amazing to feel them again. The web they weave both lyrically and musically is just intoxicating. I cannot stop listening. I'll admit, like my Jeff Buckley these guys aren't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but dammit they are mine.

"Just because we're beasts of blame by nature, doesn't mean that you should carry it again"

Book 2: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

387 pages of pure intoxication.

"The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night."

All throughout this book my heart ached for the Le Cirque des Reves to be real. (and still do) Its certainly one I plan to read again in the future and certainly add it to my personal library. The attention to detail Ms. Morgenstern pays to relaying the details of the circus, its creators, performers, and admirers, can be a tad overwhelming at first. I'd be lying if I said I didn't find myself getting a bit frustrated at times because there are so many perspectives (causing it to feel a bit jumpy at times). But before you know it the picture moves into sharper focus and it all sinks in.

The journey of Celia and Marco and all those directly and indirectly related to their competition and the circus is so, pun intended; spellbinding. But all complications aside, this book is such a fantastic journey, and afterall is that not what great books are made of? The books I tend to gravitate toward usually involve situations or perspectives that aren't too far from the possible. Not since Tom Robbins' Jitterbug Perfume have I been so swept away. Sights, smells, touch, they are all there amongst the pages of The Night Circus. This is by no means a light read, but one that is a must none-the-less.

February Artist: Gogol Bordello

It started with the stache, more specifically this picture:

... on pinterest no less. I found it in a music board I follow. She likes all of my faves: Henry, Bob, PJ, The Clash, Tribe, ect ect. So I looked him up. This is Eugene Hutz and he is the frontman and mastermind of Gogol Bordello. A quick click to you tube and I was intrigued. My first introduction to Gogol Bordello was the song "Wonderlust King". (Wonderlust is such an awesome word isn't it?)

Don't they look like fun! Reading a bit more about them it seems that THE album to check out is 2007's Super Taranta!. So this month I will. I've got a good feeling about these guys. Its my February hope to make up for the Temper Trap, who let me down mid album.

35/35 February Update

Happy February folks. I thought I'd offer an update my my 35 things to do my 35th year list. This list has brought so much light and energy into so many aspects of my life. I'm so grateful to Laura at 3 little birds for inspiring me. Just like anything in life I've had good days and bad as far as sticking to the list. But overall I'm proud of the changes.

Things To Do
1. Read 12 books. -I'm about to start book number 4! - I've already reviewed The Paris Wife, more reviews to come. I am most grateful to this list for lighting my book reading fire again. I expect to surpass 12 before summer
2. Send birthday cards to my nearest and dearest -January Done! I LOVE doing this
3. Fix my watch -to be done as soon as the budget allows
4. journal daily (even if its one sentence) -I started January strong with this but the last week or so I have been less diligent but I've already journaled more than i have in the last few years.
5. Discover one new musical artist a month -January's artist was the Temper Trap, I'm excited about February's artist. This too has breathed so much life into me. My journal is fast filling with names to explore.
6. Wear more jewelry-January was a pretty good month.

7. Wear more scarves-yesterday i rocked this great scarf i bought in New York many moons ago. As it is my lone scarf I look forward to rocking more as soon as the budget allows.

8. Complete at least one non-food Pinterest project per month-does learning how to tie my scarf in a new way count? February's project are some very cute owl valentines. Stay tuned.

9. Blog at least once a week -January, check.

10. Make gifts for friends and family-to be done as soon as the budget allows

11. Create wardrobe I feel shows the "real" me.-to be done as soon as the budget allows

12. Finish one sewing project per month (once it arrives from storage)-to begin in April.

13. Learn to properly knit and crochet-to begin when I have all my sewing stuff from storage

14. Learn how to play one good song on the piano-boo, I have yet to work on this but the year is still young.

15. Try one new recipe a week.-i did whip up a few recipes this month not so much every week but a helluva lot more than usual.

16. Create Stella's reading nook-to be done as soon as the budget allows

17. Begin Stella's yearly art books a' la my Pin-spiration. -not yet

18. Learn how to braid Stella's hair.-working on it, I have been practicing though.

19. Research and (if possible) join the local arts council.-not yet

20. Complete my first children's book and submit it to a publisher-i have a solid draft, now i'm researching for it.

Adventure/Active

21. Plant and nurture no more than 3 plants for the entire year. -I've been planning, I can't wait until spring.

22. Walk 365 miles (not in one day mind you)-i've logged about 5 miles. I must work harder at this in February.

23. Shoot a handgun (its that or break plates my friends)-to be done as soon as the budget allows

24. Give my hubby at least one long lingering kiss per day-check

25. Get a new tattoo-to be done as soon as the budget allows

26. Take at least one new photograph a week-I must work harder at this in February

Trips/Places To Go

27. See at least 2 shows at the Orange Peel-We will be seeing Trampled by Turtles in April

28. Take Stella to see a Play or Ballet Performance-to be done as soon as the budget allows

29. Visit Tryon, the birthplace of Nina Simone (sigh)-to be done as soon as the budget allows

30. Visit Black Mountain preferably overnight with my awesome hubby.-Check

31. Purchase year passes to Chimney Rock Park/Hickory Nut Falls and use hell out of them-to be done as soon as the budget allows-those bitches are expensive.

32. Go on at least one date a month with the hubby.-check

Healthy

33. Get the internal volume turned up on my hearing aids-my fingers are crossed for an appointment in March.

34. Complete a juice fast-to be done after my clean eating month.

35. Eat clean for one month-I'm thinking sometime in the summer.

Book 1: The Paris Wife by: Paula McClain

Thanks to Anais Nin, I'm such a sucker for the lost generation, more specifically the Paris of the 20's and 30's. This, peppered with my respect for Hemingway (despite him never being my cup of tea in the literary sense), made The Paris Wife a must read. And Paula McClain did not disappoint. Although she could get a little lost in the minutiae, she still painted a lovely portrait of Paris and the life of a very enigmatic writer.

My heart ached when I learned that Hadley's father suffered a similar fate as Hemingway. As the spouse of someone who suffers from depression it was easy to build a connection to Hadley. And while McClain often teetered on the edge of making Hadley into a helpless victim, she quickly found a way to show her resilience, strength, and individuality which left you feeling that no matter what Ernest (or life) threw her way Hadley was going to be just fine. As love can be oh so beautiful and oh so ugly, I thought McClain did a great job showing both sides of Hadley and Ernest's relationship in a very enriching and lovely way. And I can't help but wonder if The Paris Wife is also an ode to the loved ones of artists, who often get the short end of the stick, but who are so pivotal to their success.

And I'll always appreciate a book that can enrage me so, that I can't help but to punch the hubby in the arm, but still find myself turning the pages. (For all his incredible talent Hemingway could be an real bastard). Overall though, If you are a fan of those great writers from bohemian Paris this book would be right up your alley.

January Artist: The Temper Trap - Fader

All this month I'm getting to know The Temper Trap and their debut album "Conditions". See Sweet Disposition and Love Lost. "Fader" is near-abouts the point on the album they lose their umph. It starts taking on this cookie cutter formula and the lyrics, the emotion behind the songs just fizzle. Its an okay song, there is a good riff but nothing about this song really stands out for me and certainly based on their previous offerings I expected more.

January Artist: The Temper Trap - Love Lost

Continuing in my discovery of The Temper Trap; this week I present Love Lost. Its another solid song. Something I'm noticing with the album that this and Sweet Disposition are off of (Conditions) is that there is a common thread that binds the hooks. Just different enough to have the song stand solidly alone while still connecting well with other songs on the album.

The littlest boy (from the beginning) in this video absolutely steals my heart, he's trying so so very hard to keep up and stay in time, as we all feel sometimes in life I think. The curly haired boy will no doubt become a charismatic front man for a band one day. The boy at the end brings back not so fond memories of PE for me.

Week 1 Recipe: Broccoli Lasagna

I love love love Italian food. If its cheesy, garlicy, noodley, and saucy I love it. Problem is, the hubby isn't so big on it, especially since even standing near a tomato causes him heartburn (poor thing). This week while looking for meals under $10 I came across a recipe for Broccoli Lasagna . I decided it would be worth a shot. I realized when I started making my sauce that I didn't have the dry mustard. So I improvised and added 1/2 tsp of regular mustard to the mix. I also added garlic powder with a little bit of parsley along with a dash or two of paprika. The sauce formed nicely and quickly. I also added a tad more parmesan cheese than the recipe called for.

The recipe called for "cut broccoli" but I found it to be a bit bulky so I whipped out the trusty food processor and gave it a good chopping. I breezed through the layering and popped the badboy in oven. 35 minutes was good enough for me and I let it broil on low for the last 3 minutes to get that nice bubbly brown cheese.

I was excited to see it be such a hit with the hubby and my incredibly picky Stella. Best of all I am certain this the base for a great veggie lasagna. Think about the possibilities as far as veggies go; it would be great to whip up one with spinach, peppers (I think a roasted pepper would be fantastic) and mushrooms. Or maybe adding a bit of cauliflower to the current recipe.

I highly recommend chopping whatever your chosen veggies may be (especially the bulky stuff like broccoli and cauliflower). Overall I think its an easy and fun recipe best of all you can make it your own. We will definitely be making this one again (and again)

Budget Broccoli Lasagna (from BHG.com)

Makes: 8 servings

Prep: 30 mins
Bake: 350°F 35 mins
Stand: 15 mins

ingredients

• 9
  dried lasagna noodles
• 3 1/2
  cups milk
• 1/2
  cup all-purpose flour
• 1
  teaspoon salt
• 1/2
  teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4
  teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4
  teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
• 1/4
  cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1
  16 ounce package frozen cut broccoli, thawed and drained
• 2
  carrots, shredded (1 cup)
• 2
  cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish; set aside. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Place noodles in a single layer on a sheet of foil; set aside.

2.Meanwhile, for sauce, in a medium saucepan, whisk together about 1 cup of the milk and the flour until smooth. Stir in the remaining milk, salt, dry mustard, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in Parmesan cheese.

3.Arrange three of the cooked lasagna noodles in the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the broccoli, half of the carrots, 3/4 cup of the cheddar cheese, and 1 cup of the sauce. Repeat layering noodles, broccoli, carrots, cheese, and sauce. Top with the remaining noodles, sauce, and cheese.

4.Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings.

nutrition facts (Budget Broccoli Lasagna)

• Servings Per Recipe 8,
• Calories 325,
• Protein (gm) 17,
• Carbohydrate (gm) 35,
• Fat, total (gm) 13,
• Cholesterol (mg) 41,
• Saturated fat (gm) 8,
• Monosaturated fat (gm) 4,
• Polyunsaturated fat (gm) 1,
• Dietary Fiber, total (gm) 3,
• Sugar, total (gm) 8,
• Vitamin A (IU) 3256,
• Vitamin C (mg) 24,
• Thiamin (mg) 0,
• Riboflavin (mg) 0,
• Niacin (mg) 3,
• Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg) 0,
• Folate (µg) 89,
• Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (µg) 1,
• Sodium (mg) 574,
• Potassium (mg) 308,
• Calcium (DV %) 384,
• Iron (DV %) 2,
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet